Murilo
After several nights going to the Season Hot Club without finding out anything about my brunette, I gave up going there again, because I realized that it would not work out.
I decided to return to my normal routine, which consisted of working as much as possible and sleeping as much as necessary to get through another day of work, my only entertainment being the times when I went out for a walk with my dog, a Siberian Husky.
When I returned to my apartment after a long walk with Brutus, I found my cousin, Aquiles, sitting comfortably on my sofa, watching something on my TV.
" You're too lazy," I commented in a displeased tone, "Don't you have your apartment?"
My cousin had been living in an apartment on the same floor as mine, in an elegant residential building in Paulista Garden in São Paulo, since we turned twenty-one and Mrs. Dinorá decided that we should have our own space. Dinorá is our paternal grandmother and has raised us since we were too young to remember anything else.
Dinorá Fernandes raised her three grandchildren since her two sons and their wives decided to go around the world helping the needy, using their fortunes and influence to bring some welfare to those who needed it most.
My grandmother then took care of me and my cousins, Aquiles and Artemis, her younger sister, and we had nothing to complain about.
Aquiles and Artemis' mother is Greek, and this explains their unusual names, something that was always the subject of jokes among us, and which earned us many laughs, and we always had a lot of fun as children pretending to be powerful gods.
Artemis still lived with Grandma to this day and refused to leave her side, something that put Aquiles and me at ease, because we were sure that our dear grandmother was well taken care of, not only because she had enough money for that, but because her granddaughter was always with her.
" I don't understand why I need your permission to come to your apartment if I have the key to it," Aquiles spoke lightly.
"I remember saying that in case of extreme necessity, it would be interesting if one had a copy of the other's key. Not that you could come here any time you wished."
I let Brutus off the leash, and he ran across the room heading for the kitchen of the apartment, no doubt in search of his water bowl, which was in the service area, next to the bowl with the pet food.
I took off my sweaty shirt, threw it on top of any piece of furniture, and walked to the sofa, sitting down next to Aquiles
" You're watching a soap opera! " I exclaimed indignantly.
" What's the problem? " Aquiles didn't bother to deny it. " I like soap operas."
" Since when? " I asked, but soon answered my question," Oh, I remember. Since you spent that weekend with the redhead and she made you watch soap operas."
I laughed, remembering Aquiles texting me and complaining about having to watch TV, only to stay in the apartment of his latest crush.
Aquiles fell in love at least four times a year, at least, and this was a reason for me to tease him whenever possible, but it was getting old since he didn't mind my jokes about his love life anymore.
" Exactly."
" And are you still seeing the redhead?"
" No."
It was impossible to contain the loud laughter when I realized that my cousin had learned to enjoy watching soap operas and was now doing it purely for pleasure, and no longer to please his latest crush.
" I don't understand why you're laughing so hard when you spent more than a month constantly going to 'Season Hot' just to try to find the girl you won at an auction."
I closed my face immediately upon hearing the reference to my brunette and got up from the sofa, picking up the shirt I had thrown somewhere and heading for the corridor that led to the bedrooms.
" It's completely different from the other," I said and left, without giving Aquiles a chance to fight back.
" You're right! " He shouted, and even from a distance I could hear him. " Your situation is much worse!"
I didn't return to respond to Aquiles' provocation, not because I feared a clash between us, for we were like brothers, and this would be just another argument. But because he was right.
After a long shower and back in my bedroom, I looked around the place feeling uncomfortable, for it was Saturday night and, after spending weeks going to the club and having resolved that I would no longer do so, I did not want to stay home.
I put on dark wash jeans and a black polo shirt, and loafers, and lay on my bed with my cell phone in hand, looking at social networks and trying to find something to do that would take my mind off the brunette with clear eyes and a tempting body.
I noticed that I had received messages from one of my partners, Arthur Rodrigues, wanting to confirm whether I would attend the inauguration of his nightclub that night, something that had gone unnoticed, in the face of so many other messages I had received and ignored.
I remembered that Arthur had sent me some invitations anyway, which I had given to my secretary so that she could distribute them among the cleaning and pantry girls, and I regretted the fact that I had given them all away.
This would be an interesting program since I would be surrounded by acquaintances, and maybe I could have some fun, something I had forgotten how to do.
Even before the night at the club, I had been avoiding all kinds of fun since I had become a laughingstock in my circle of friends ever since Bruna had left me for Ethan Constantino.
I grimaced at the memory of my ex and quickly pushed that memory to a distant place, because even after all this time, I still felt a prickle in my chest when I remembered the betrayal I had suffered, and it was better to leave it in its rightful place, which was in the past.
" I'm leaving. " Aquiles spoke as he entered the room through the door that I had left ajar. " See you tomorrow at Grandma's?"
Sunday was a day when we made a point of going to Grandma's house, and keeping her company, since during the week it was sometimes not even possible to see her because Mrs. Dinorá slept early, and our day was very busy at the cosmetics company where we were majority partners.
" I'll be there. " I spoke distractedly, thinking of calling Arthur.
We were partners in several businesses, and he could certainly get another invitation to his club; after all, he was one of the owners.
" I won't even insist on calling you to Arthur's club opening," Aquiles said, walking away," You don't have any fun anymore…"
When I realized what Aquiles had just said, I jumped out of bed and walked to the bedroom door in a hurry, calling him back.
" Do you have invitations to Arthur's club?"
" Yes, he left some with me."
" I'll go with you," I said, walking toward him.
" Finally, you decided to act on your own! I couldn't take any more of your gurgling and whining," Aquiles said with amusement.
" I don't do that! " I protested.
" Sure you do. " He insisted. " But it doesn't matter. Let's enjoy it because the great Murilo is back on the ballad! " Aquiles sneered.
Although my cousin had always referred to me in this way since we were kids, and I was much bigger than he, since I was two years older, it was pretty different now that we were practically the same height.
" Jokes aside, I'm waiting for you in the garage," I said, taking the car keys from the rack near the entrance and pushing him to get out of my apartment.
"I won't be long!"
We walked together toward the elevator, and Aquiles stopped in front of his apartment door, just a few meters away from my front door.
"I can't wait to see if you're going to get back into good shape..." He interrupted himself, and I guessed he was going to say "before Bruna".
" I'll wait for you downstairs," I just said, not bothering to comment on the sentence about a subject I wanted to forget.